{"id":4857,"date":"2014-11-27T15:49:52","date_gmt":"2014-11-27T19:49:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=4857"},"modified":"2014-12-26T22:35:10","modified_gmt":"2014-12-27T02:35:10","slug":"what-are-you-giving-to-jesus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=4857","title":{"rendered":"What Are You Giving to Jesus?"},"content":{"rendered":"
A new message was posted on our signboard on Thanksgiving Day (11\/27\/14):<\/span><\/address>\n
\n

WHAT ARE YOU GIVING TO JESUS?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

This question looks towards “Black Friday” and the crazy pre-Christmas shopping season.\u00a0 We all have a list of people we want to please on Christmas morning, and we’re all busy trying to write possible gifts next to these names and then to brave the malls and Internet to purchase the gifts.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Christmas (“Celebration of Christ”) is a birthday.\u00a0 Jesus Birthday! Shouldn’t we be giving gifts to Jesus instead of just to ourselves?<\/span><\/p>\n

But what does Jesus want, and just how can we give Him gifts anyway???\u00a0 Below are some ideas of things you could put on your “shopping list” for Jesus.\u00a0 Also shown are some suggestions of where you can get these gifts…<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0=============<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0Presence and Commitment…<\/span><\/h3>\n

“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt 4:19, NIV<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

What’s it mean to follow Him?\u00a0 The Bible tells us how, and prayer gives us the life-specific details.\u00a0 Check out our Tuesday<\/span>\u00a0 <\/a>Bible studies or join a small group. Listen to our sermons<\/a><\/span> and consider how you can give the gift of moving closer to Jesus and following Him.<\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0Children and Child Like Faith…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt 19:14, NIV<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On December 11, the Our Father’s House preschool will present their annual Christmas Program<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0 You can give Jesus the gift of children by supporting this with your presence.\u00a0 Or, take your kids to the Live Nativity<\/a><\/span> or Birthday Party for Jesus… He’d love to see them!<\/p>\n

\n

For You to be on His Side…<\/span><\/h3>\n

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.\u00a0 But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt 10:32-33,\u00a0 NIV<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A few years ago there was a big controversy in Pitman regarding the “Keep Christ in Christmas” banner that (for many years) has been strung across Broadway during the Christmas season.\u00a0 Do you stick up for Jesus?\u00a0\u00a0 You can do that simply by putting up a lawn sign<\/a><\/span>, or inviting someone to church, or by walking in the parade<\/a><\/span>.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Food for His Friends…<\/span><\/h3>\n

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. \u00a0 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,\u00a0 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt 25:34-36, NIV<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

There’s a shopping cart in our Fellowship Hall for donations to the Pitman Food Pantry<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0 There’s a Christmas Tree in our Narthex decorated with stars (the “Star Tree<\/a><\/span>“).\u00a0 Each star contains the name of a child from a needy Pitman family along with some gift suggestions.\u00a0 Purchase a gift for this child and place it under the tree.<\/p>\n

\n

\u00a0Our Burdens…<\/span><\/h3>\n

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.\u00a0 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.\u00a0 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt 11:28-30,\u00a0 NIV<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

On December 22 we will have a special worship service for the families of those who lost loved ones this year (“Blue Christmas<\/a><\/span>“).\u00a0 Stop by and share your burdens.\u00a0 Jesus would love to have the chance to remove your burdens and to give you a fresh path forward.\u00a0 Jesus is our Shepherd and He wants to hear from us!\u00a0 We can talk to Him through the miracle of prayer.\u00a0 Our Prayer Chapel<\/a><\/span> is always open.\u00a0 Drop in sometime and use the beauty of the stained glass windows and the quiet of the moment to “come to Him.”
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

A Forgiving Attitude…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matt 18:21-22, NIV<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jesus died on a cross to purchase your forgiveness. And He did the same thing for the forgiveness of that person who just cut you off on route 55!\u00a0 We need to go and do likewise.\u00a0 On New Years Eve, our sanctuary will be open for a time of silent communion<\/a><\/span> and personal reflection.\u00a0 Who do you need to forgive?\u00a0 This might be a time where you can give Jesus that gift.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Worship and Praise…<\/span><\/h3>\n

Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders…<\/span><\/p>\n

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:\u00a0 “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb<\/span><\/span>
\n be praise and honor and glory and power,\u00a0\u00a0 for ever and ever!”<\/span>
\nThe four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rev 5:6, 13-14, NIV<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Jesus is Awesome and He loves the gift of our praise.\u00a0 He is God, the world was made through Him (see John chapter 1).\u00a0 When we think we know it all or forget our absolute dependence on Jesus, it pains Him (did He die in vain???).\u00a0 Instead, Jesus wants the gift of our humility and acknowledgement.\u00a0 That’s why we have two worship services<\/a><\/span> every Sunday!\u00a0 Showing up on Sundays would be a great place to start to give Jesus the gift of worship.\u00a0 Sharing in the Joy and Wonder of our Creator-God-Savior is also why we have our annual Christmas cantata<\/a><\/span>.\u00a0 Give Jesus the gift of your worship.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\n

 <\/p>\n

You can make this a really special Christmas by giving some great gifts! The best ones aren’t the electronics, clothes, and toys that we give eachother.\u00a0 The best and most enduring gifts are the ones we give Jesus.\u00a0 After all, it’s HIS birthday!!!<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Birthday<\/a><\/p>\n

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A new message was posted on our signboard on Thanksgiving Day (11\/27\/14): WHAT ARE YOU GIVING TO JESUS? This question looks towards “Black Friday” and the crazy pre-Christmas shopping season.\u00a0 We all have a list of people we want to please on Christmas morning, and we’re all busy trying to write possible gifts next to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[123,88],"class_list":["post-4857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-signboard","tag-christmas","tag-jesus"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4857"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4857\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4897,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4857\/revisions\/4897"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4861"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}